AN: Okay, I'm very sorry for making everyone wait so long for more chapters. However, the story wasn't going how I wanted it to at all so I decided to go back and fix everything and rewrite the story. Yes, I'm changing a lot in the next few chapters so please bear with me and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the rights to Naruto belong to Kishimoto and the respective companies. This doesn't represent them or their works in any way shape or form. If I did own Naruto, all of the kunoichi would be more kick ass and Sasuke would have SOMETHING redeemable in his character.

The flames roared to life, sending sparks of fear high into the night sky. The screams of the dying rose on the night breeze as unavenged blood cried from the battle scarred earth, driving the mighty nine tailed fox to greater depths of madness as his insatiable blood lust rose to new heights. His brilliant orange ears, blanched under the full moon's light making them appear to be the color of dried blood, constantly flicked towards the heavens as though listening for the sounds of divine wrath.

The Kyuubi chuckled mirthlessly to himself before he blinked his ruby, hate-filled eyes, incinerating the leaf shinobi who foolishly stood in his path. The mighty kitsune roared his triumph to the sky as his supernatural senses sought more worthy prey.

"It's the Yondaime Hokage!" Rose a cheer of hope from the miserable beings that dared to challenge the Demon King. The Kyuubi looked down on the pathetic mortal approaching him at a breakneck pace and sneered. This human's chakra was a grain of sand on the beach compared to his own.

He contemptuously watched as the human summoned the chief toad Gamabunta to battle against him. He blinked again, but instead of vaporizing both man and toad a shimmering halo of divine light that only the eyes of the immortals could witness flared around the two. He bared his teeth at the glorious shield. How dare Inari send this pathetic fool as his champion!

The Kyuubi shook his head as he slowly dragged the claws of his right paw through the earth before lifting it to his face and absently noticed his fingerlike claws strumming the air for a few seconds while he allowed his mind to race. Inari had long ago denounced the mortals' claim to his patronage so why? His ears snapped to attention as he heard the sound of chanting carrying across the battlefield.

Crimson eyes widened slightly in shock at the sight of the human performing a blood ritual. Swifter than the human eye could follow, the Kyuubi summoned a vortex of his concentrated chakra that burned the forest to mere shadows on the ground, but the divine shield held against the onslaught. He sent wave after wave of hell fire and chakra the likes of which destroyed anything that it touched to no avail.

"Demon, you answer to none," the Yondaime shouted, "so let's take this to a higher authority!" Without wasting another moment he formed the final seal, "Forbidden Art: Death God of the Abyss Summons!"

"No!" Kyuubi roared as the entire area was covered with a veil of impenetrable darkness. Out of the pitch black emptiness came a pale white, faceless oval head. The pitch black emptiness moved into shapes and forms that fleeted on the edge of the mind, but faded before one could remember what it was.

This was the face of the greatest and most ancient god of death. Minato felt a chill run through his veins as the faceless white mass gave a cold laugh that made even the blood of the monster fox seem like it was freezing in his veins.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Kyuubi no Kitsune," the god whispered in a voice that could cast the entire earth into an endless winter, "and the human who discovered my powers. To what do I owe this visit?"

"It matters not," Kyuubi growled, "You have no power over me, Kirakami!"

"You are in my realm now. Show some respect and shut up," the kami replied. As though in response to the death god's annoyance, the darkness shot towards Kyuubi and formed chains and a gag, effectively silencing and restraining the pissed off demon.

"Please, Kirakami-sama!" Minato called, "Take my life, and take that demon with me!"

"I cannot do that," the death god replied.

"What? Why the hell not?" Minato asked desperately.

"The Kyuubi no Kitsune is the oldest and most powerful of the nine bijuu, and thus, immortal and beyond most of my powers."

"Please," Minato begged as he prostrated himself, "I'll do anything, but please, stop him and save my village."

"Hm…the famed yellow flash of Konohagakure giving his soul into my keeping at the prime of his life. Such a remarkable specimen does not usually come to me willingly," the god of the Shinigami mused, "And perhaps this may solve our problems as well…what do you think, Inari?"

The hairs on the nape of the Kyuubi's neck prickled as divine flames liked away a portion of the blackness and a nine tailed fox whose fur was so white it appeared to be made out of the light itself appeared in the midst of it. The fox kami's electric blue eyes flickered from mortal to demon before his rich bass voice was heard, "Perhaps, but the price will be great."

"Kami-sama, I will pay it," the Yondaime firmly offered.

"A most noble sacrifice, but I am afraid that mortal hands alone cannot do what must be done," the divine fox intoned.

"Mortal potential, power of divine and fallen, immortal free until kami bound and demon spirit sundered," the Shinigami's frigid voice carried like a chant.

Inari's eyes widened as he gazed at the ever shifting form of the head Shinigami, "You are thinking of reincarnation?"

"Neither man nor kami nor demon, but with the power and potential of all. Reincarnate what is and shape into what must become," the Shinigami agreed.

"Forgive my audacity for interrupting, great kami's, but you intend to reincarnate the Kyuubi?"

"Yes, he will be reborn with his powers," the Kirakami nodded.

"As I must die and be reborn with him to preserve the balance," Inari continued, "In so doing, I pray to the Great Mother that more than just Konoha will be saved by our three souls."

Minato glanced to the thrashing demon so full of rage and hate that it destroyed everything in its path to the great Inari radiating calm like the sun, sitting mere feet from him,"I am ready."

"Then so it shall be," the great fox kami bowed his head, "Shinigami-sama, I leave the turning of the world in your hands."

The Shinigami also bowed his head as seals formed in the darkness that spread to the three of them, "I swear on your souls that it shall turn true."

Minato's world became enveloped in emptiness, and he heard the Kyuubi's roar of rage and despair mixed with the last breath of the fox kami. Then he felt the hard ground on his back, and he heard something wailing beside him. Minato opened his eyes to see that he was lying on the battlefield, and beside him was a baby.

He gasped when he took in the blood red hair, blood red fox ears, the nine tails, three black whisker marks on both its cheeks, the claw like nails, large canines, and bright crystalline orange eyes with black vertically slitted pupils. This was the Kyuubi no Kitsune reincarnated!

Minato tried to sit up but found that he could not. He felt his soul being slowly sucked out of his body by the death kami, and he knew that he would soon be lost forever in the emptiness. He heard a soft cooing sound and looked back at the humanoid incarnation of the monster fox.

It was staring at him with soft innocent eyes. Then the infant was enveloped in divine fire that changed him into a blonde baby with blue eyes that looked very similar to him, except with the three black whisker marks on its cheeks and a spiral seal formed around its heart. Minato didn't know if the Kyuubi or Inari or perhaps the Shinigami's twisted sense of humor had made the child resemble what his dead son would have been like. The sight of the infant was like salt rubbed into an open wound.

"Minato!" a familiar voice called. He heard the footsteps racing towards him and the new life beside him.

"Sarutobi…sama…" Minato gasped. Sarutobi immediately knelt beside him and gazed in shock at the infant. Minato followed his gaze, unsure of what to tell him and knowing that he would not be able to cling to life for much longer. Then the baby looked at them and smiled the most innocent and angelic smile. 'Just like my son would have…' Minato thought as in that moment he saw the kami shining through the boy's heart, "Sarutobi…this is Naruto…my son. He has…defeated…the…Kyuubi. Plea-se treat him…as a…he-ro." The Yondaime shuddered, and lay still.

"Minato? Minato!" Sarutobi yelled as he gently shook the corpse. Tears welled in the elderly man's eyes as he closed the young Hokage's. 'He had his whole life ahead of him. It should have been me!' He silently grieved.

A soft wail made the former Sandaime snap back to reality. The infant had begun crying almost as if it wanted its father back. The old man gently picked the newborn up as three ANBU black opts rushed to the scene. The three shinobi bowed their heads in grief before two of them lifted their dead savior onto their shoulders.

"Sarutobi-sama," an ANBU with a crow mask saluted, "What of the demon fox?"

"It has been defeated at a terrible price," Sarutobi replied gravely. The three black opts lowered their heads in acknowledgment before the crow masked one continued.

"What are we to do now, sir?"

Sarutobi's eyes widened in surprise before the gravity of the situation hit him. The village had been severely damaged, and there were untold numbers of Hidden Leaf shinobi lying dead or dying on the battlefield. The Yondaime Hokage was dead, and the council scattered. If order wasn't restored soon the village might never recover.

The responsibility of putting the broken pieces back together fell squarely on his shoulders, and the Sandaime had never felt the burden of being the Hokage more than he did at that moment. 'I'm sorry, Minato, but I will have to mourn your untimely passing later. Now, I must be strong for the village, and for the son you left behind,' he thought as he pushed his grief into the back of his mind and gathered his resolve.

"Gather every available shinobi that we have and search for survivors. Get the wounded to the medics as soon as possible. Also, summon the council for an emergency meeting on top of the Hokage monument. It is to convene immediately."

The crow ANBU saluted him and raced off to carry out his orders. The elderly Hokage headed for the monument, his thoughts already organizing into a speech that he would deliver to the council. He had no idea just how much power the infant snuggled in his arms truly held, and the Sandaime would never have imagined in a million years that the sweet babe was truly the reincarnation of not only the Kyuubi, but the cunning Inari as well.